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Transmission Help Needed

16K views 17 replies 6 participants last post by  BombardierBomb  
#1 ·
New to the forum but not new to side-by-sides and turning wrenches......However, I need some help.....I have a 2012 Can Am Commander 1000 Limited with about 3K miles on it.....I bought it last spring to replace an old John Deere Gator on the farm. Long story short, last fall the one way bearing went out and I didn't get around to replacing it until about two weeks ago. Now, after I have the new bearings installed and it all back together, I have no high range on the transmission. The indicator shows that it is in high range but it clearly is not. I have adjusted the shifter cable and have it centered with the stick in neutral.....Anyone have any idea what I did wrong to cause this or any idea what is up with this?
 
#3 ·
It is back in the correct way...............Since I was not very up to speed on this unit, I downloaded the service manual before I started tearing into it.....I have learned, the hard way, on other projects to read before I just start tearing into it.....LOL The old bearings were toast........The inner bearing was non-existent to the point that the springs and pins were gone....I played hell getting the outside bearing race, the only thing left of the inner bearing left in the one way clutch sleeve, out to get the new one pressed in......It drives fine in reverse and in low it just will not go to high range....
 
#4 ·
I know at least 3 Commander owners who had lost the high gear in their machines. It's the actual gear inside the gearbox that goes back. I hope that's not your case but it's looking like it.
 
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#5 ·
There's no gear at all, when indicating in Hi? In other words, not stuck in low, showing high, but just another neutral?

I'm curious as to the timing..... a one-way bearing doesn't affect a gear......it was operating in all gears fine before the one-way?
 
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#7 ·
When the shifter is in high, the dash indicator shows "H" but the bike is clearly in low range. It tops out at about 40 MPH and I know from driving it that it tops out at about 75 in high range with the set up it has......It was going to high range when I parked it about the end of October of last year it was just would not shift out of what ever gear/range you had it in unless you shut the engine off. Which, is what lead me to check the one way bearings which were toast......I have not had time to mess with it any further but my next step is to take all the covers off shift it at the trans and see if if feels like it is doing anything when you shift it to high range......

Also, you think that the trans fluid might be burnt and cause this? I also thought about draining the fluid out and filling it up with new fluid.....

If also has the normal overheating problem but I am going to either change the thermostat or just do a delete...Not sure which one yet.......
 
#6 ·
My thoughts are if you just replaced something and a new problem instantly appears, it is probably associated with what you just worked on, but it probably wouldn't be the first time that that theory was wrong. However, I would pull the primary back off and check everything again before I started tearing the transmission apart, pretty sure that you will have to take the secondary off if you want to take the transmission out anyway, so your pretty much at the point to take the primary off to check it.
 
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#9 ·
That was my thought but I can't figure what I could have done to cause this.......The only thing I did to the secondary is pull it and clean it up and put it right back on.............I would think that if I did something to screw up the secondary or the drive cam it would show up in low gear also,......Maybe not....
 
#10 ·
Hmmm

Does it perhaps have that sport low harness on it? That would keep the display from showing L when in low gear. Nah, gearbox oil wouldn't limit your top speed or given gear operation. You're sure you put the secondary/spring/helix all back together correctly?

So the shifter cable is in good shape? Moves the gearbox through each gear correctly?
 
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#13 ·
Hmmm

Does it perhaps have that sport low harness on it? That would keep the display from showing L when in low gear. Nah, gearbox oil wouldn't limit your top speed or given gear operation. You're sure you put the secondary/spring/helix all back together correctly?

So the shifter cable is in good shape? Moves the gearbox through each gear correctly?

Hmmmmm....I have no idea if it has the sport low harness on it or not.....How would a bubba figure that out? As for putting it all back together correctly on the secondary, I put it back the way the manual shows......The spring first, then the cam then the secondary.........I did have an issue the first time I put in back together that the secondary would not spread to get the belt back on so I took it all back off, took the secondary back apart, cleaned it again and put it back together.....No problem getting it to spread to get the belt on the second time.....
 
#11 ·
That’s what I’m thinking…something in the shift linkage. With the one-way being toasted (for probably a long time) people have been reefing on the shifter trying to find gears.


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#12 ·
That’s what I’m thinking…something in the shift linkage. With the one-way being toasted (for probably a long time) people have been reefing on the shifter trying to find gears.


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I am 100% positive that you are correct on the "people have been reefing on the shifter" part.......LOL......That is why I am thinking that it is not an actual gear problem but either a linkage problem or a " I put something back together wrong" problem.......

I had to pause on further troubleshooting in this due to having other more pressing issues on the farm to deal with right now but I am hoping next week or next week end to pull it back in the shop and check some more things.....Thanks for all the good info I will let you guys know what I find.....
 
#14 ·
Disconnect the shift linkage end at the gearbox end and turn the small shaft coming out of the gearbox there using a vise-grip to change gears and then test drive and see. This will remove the shift linkage from the equation and allow you to determine whether it is the cause or not.
 
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#16 ·
What is your top speed in low now? Kind of sounds like you have an issue with the secondary.

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#17 ·
Finally an update on this problem.........I have been busy this summer and fall with work and other more pressing projects on the farm but I finally got around to taking another look at my Commander.....I also had an overheating problem with the unit so I thought I would tackle that first and then start back on the transmission problem. I solved the overheating problem, small coolant leak and a bad radiation cap that was causing it to not suck back out of the overflow, and now the transmission problem is solved.......The unit was not showing that it was in limp mode but it must have some type of sensor or something that sees that it is hot and locks it into low range........Anyone have any ideas/answers on this? Unit runs about have temp on the gauge and 75MPH down the road so it has to be going into high range.......LOL
 
#18 ·
lol yep, limp home mode absolutely kills power output.
 
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